Colombo, Jan. 23(ANI): Australia has expressed concern over the use of Indian coast to illegally migrate to Australia following the arrest of six Sri Lankan refugees while attempting to take a boat to Australia from Velankanni in Nagappattinam district.

Australian official praised India’s Q Branch of the state police which arrested the six Sri Lankan refugees from Tiruchy and Karur while they were illegally trying to sail to New Zealand, but later cleared it was Australia, reports Lanka Page.

The official said that in the last 18 months, three futile attempts were made my human traffickers to illegally ship Sri Lankans as well as Indians to Australia.

The Australian envoy added that Australia is only 3,000 nautical miles from India while New Zealand is 6,000 nautical miles,so they had planned to enter Australia.(ANI)